Tuesday, Aug 07, 2007
Gulf News
Dubai: Scuba divers and swimmers are being asked to cooperate with a coral reef monitoring survey on the east coast of the UAE by not removing or touching special tiles and equipment.
Earlier this year, Cyclone Gonu which swept across the UAE and Oman, caused considerable damage to the corals on the east coast.
The NCRI is already involved in the Abu Dhabi-Qatar coral reef survey managed by the Emirates Wildlife Society and WWF (EWS-WWF).
According to Dr Christophe Tourenq from the EWS-WWF it was decided with the Fujairah Municipality to benefit of the on-going research programme in Abu Dhabi waters and the presence of NCRI coral reef experts in the UAE to install between three and six monitoring stations.
Study regrowth
"After Gonu, it's a unique opportunity to study the regrowth and colonisation of the damaged coral. By installing similar monitoring stations to these already installed in the Abu Dhabi-Qatar waters, we will also be able to compare the two populations: Arabian Gulf and Oman Gulf," said Tourenq.
The monitoring stations have been installed along the eastern coast of the UAE between Fujairah and Dibba. These stations include limestone tiles attached to stainless steel racks. Researchers will use these stations to monitor new coral recruitment in the area as polyps settle and grow on the tiles over time.
Polyps are hundreds and thousands of soft-bodied, invertebrate animals that have no backbone which make up coral reefs. They have a tubular body with tentacles surrounding the mouth at the upper end.
The stations are an important part the reef recovery study following Gonu. The damage in the area was the worst diving community had seen. According to a dive instructor, R.T. based in Al Aqah, Fujairah, who has been working in the area for more than three years it was impossible to predict, but shallow corals were extensively damaged.
"Around 30 to 40 per cent of the corals in the shallows were damaged, especially at Dibba Rock. It is not dead but at this stage we have to see if it recovers. It takes a long time," said R.T.
"I was very surprised after the cyclone. I've never seen waves that big and I didn't expect it to be as bad as it was," he added.
A circular was issued to divers and dive centres by the NCRI through EWS-WWF who works closely with Fujairah Municipality to be extra careful when diving in the area and to alert them of the tiles so they would not be disturbed.
The circular reads: "If you see a monitoring station during one of your dives - please do not attempt to remove any part of the station, please do not touch the tiles, please be careful with your fins. These activities could accidentally dislodge coral polyps or crack the tiles."
Gulf News 2007. All rights reserved.
